Consultant William Jones said he won't recommend netbooks to his clients, even small companies. "Netbooks have an appealing price and form factor, but if they are not powerful enough to be primary computers, where are users supposed to turn when they need more horsepower?" He sees netbooks as fine for students but a passing fad for professionals.

Peter Ubriaco, owner of New York Information Systems, a software development company, was disappointed with the two Asus EEE PC netbooks he bought for employees. "They're excellent for computing on the go, but were too weak to support work around the office. I definitely do find it useful for email, basic web browsing, instant messaging. But I also need development tools like Eclipse IDE, and it just doesn't feel right running slowly, on a cramped screen."

Ubriaco did, however, recommend an Asus EEE 1000HA to one of his clients, a family-owned tire store. "They simply wanted a laptop to get them online and that fit in a briefcase. So far they've been very happy with the EEE PC, since it does what they need to do at a reasonable price and inside a tiny footprint."

Heather Lutz, a professional speaker who travels often, also loves the netbook's size. "My Acer Aspire One fits in the front pouch of an airline." She intends to outfit her entire eight-person office with netbooks.

Andy Abramson of the marcom firm Comunicano did the same thing, purchasing over a dozen Asus netbooks for employees who travel. His Acer Aspire One with built-in 3G AT&T broadband is perfect for certain situations. "When I go to dinner or out for coffee, it takes up so little space and handle a lot more than an iPhone or Blackberry can do."